Barnes & Noble opened its doors today at a temporary location in Maui Marketplace in Kahului, where the former PetCo store was located.

The bookstore moved from its former location at Lahaina Gateway Center after the lease there had expired.

The new temporary location is expected to last for at least six months.

Store manager Cindy Mauricio says the new central location has already proved to beneficial for the store. “There were people waiting outside the store before we opened this morning,” she said.

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Mauricio was part of the opening of the Barnes & Noble ten years ago in Lahaina, and tells Maui Now people are excited for the new temporary location. “For years people would come in and say ‘I never make it out to this side,’ so it’s great to have a local convenience now,” she added.

Mauricio noted that real estate partners are working to find a permanent location for the bookstore and says she hopes that it can remain central. “Once we find a permanent location, then we can work on having a coffee shop back in the store,” she said.

Less than half of the employees moved from the Lahaina location to the temporary location in Kahului. Mauricio says the store is still hiring.

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Barnes & Noble is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and open until 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Maui Marketplace is located on Dairy Road in Kahului.

Nikki SchenfeldNikki joined the Maui Now team in 2016 as a writer/reporter. Originally from Chicago, she has had internships with CBS2 Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Chicago where she had the opportunity to interview some of Chicago's best athletes. She graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism. She moved to Maui in 2013.